I have been doing some research and apparently it is possible for people to do the "para" parachute course without doing p-coy. After this they get a parachute badge on their arm without the wings or the maroon beret (I think its called a "lightbulb"). Does anyone know if it's possible for humble OTC cadets to get this?

The lightbulb course went out more than a good few years ago - stop being a badge collector and get a life! If you want to jump, do a sports course via the army or your uni, if you want an ally badge, grow a set and do the course!

was planning to join the para engineers after uni. figured this was one way to improve my chances as i hear that they are cutting down on the paras at the moment.

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If you're gonna be para engineers after uni then do p coy then, the OTC has a limited enough training buget without pricks like you thinking 'fcuk me, i'd be able to pull so much more with a maroon lid' you are not paid to think. you would not be able to wear said lid and if you have any PSI's who have done regular p coy they will laugh at you. if you want badges on your arm, p1ss off to the boy scouts

I think you may have misunderstood. I did the para course at Brize Norton while I was a member of the University of London OTC. I was already a sports parachutist and managed to arrange it through a temporary attachment to 289 (Parachute) Battery RHA(V). I still had to do the full pre-selection at Woolwich and then the normal P Company at Aldershot though ... trotted off to 10 Btn Parachute Regt (V) in White City for training.

The light bulb was officially for people who were parachute trained, but not a member of airborne forces. I was officially only entitled to a light bulb, but by making a big fuss about being with 289 (I stayed attached to them for a while after), no-one complained when I put on my red beret and wings. I even kept my wings went I signed on as a REME private a few years later.

The light bulb created quite a lot of ill feeling really as the RAF (even RAF Regiment) and the Royal Navy (ever seen parachute sailors?) were issued with wings.

When 289 turned Marine; they moved from being the TAVR battery of 7 RHA to being the battery of 29 Commando Regt RA, no distinctions were made at all - everyone had to go down to Lympston and do the full selection.

The light bulb created quite a lot of ill feeling really as the RAF (even RAF Regiment) and the Royal Navy (ever seen parachute sailors?) were issued with wings.

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Presumably the crabs and matelots who got wings were in Para roles. As for para sailors there are plenty of SBA and Signal types who have been in the NGFS world. There are also quite a few Commando trained sailors from the naval aviation world, some of whom are also para-trained by virtue of their attendance on the commando course.

Ring up your local 4 Para coy, ask when the next course start date is and get yourself on it. One year in OTC is enough, you'll still have the contacts there so dont worry about your pulling being affected. Get yourself on the TA P coy and join 4 Para. Then you'll have earned the whole lot and you might even be in for a chance at the 2008 Helmand jolly 4 Para is off to.

Turning up to the Para Engineers, having done an operational tour with the Parachute Regiment will be far more 'impressive' than rocking up with OTC stories about how you wangled yourself on a wings course despite not being airborne, while airborne units are struggling to get the jumps courses they need for their lads.

Oh, my view is that joining 4 Para is pretty much the only way of getting a jumps course in (bar UKSF(R)) as Brize is overwhelmed, under-planed and underfunded and priority is airborne forces only. Regular, then TA.